Morning Light
by Brighton Baby
Summary: Max is having trouble living up to expectations that she's set. When she finally breaks, who will glue her back together? And can she accept the one that loves her? rr please!


_One sad and lonely night, sittin' at home in a world of silence_

_She don't wanna be there all her life_

_Things have gotta change, reaching out but can't explain_

_"Do you want to be here?"_

Max wandered around Terminal City, the Seattle wind attacking her like icy water. She hunched her shoulders against the cold and shoved her chilled hands into her pant pockets as she continued her walk. At the moment she had a number of transgenic and transhumans waiting for her next move, and over a hundred national guardsmen and such waiting for her next screw up. It had been hard to think clearly the past few days while all of this had been weighing down on her mind.

_Well, you're all I ever dreamed of_

_Your stars align in threesomes oh that's right_

_With the morning light, got your mind in sight_

She saw Logan come out of one door and she quickly hid behind a broken one. She really couldn't deal with him and his whole rubber-gloved hand-holding touchy-feely thing right now. It was late, and being in Terminal City was dangerous for a human- not all of her group could tell who was good and who was evil; and on top of that, he'd been pushing their relationship, he wanted it to last even though they were running on empty. But she supposed when one person in said relationship came from a test tube and the other was a normal human who just happened to be Eyes Only and the fact that she could kill him with a single touch, it sorta made sense.

She watched him sneak out through a hole in the fence, then head into a building which she knew from experience had a network of air vents that would bring him out to the sewers and eventually back into the world at Joshua's old house. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the metal door.

_And I wanna be there all my life_

_With the morning light, got your mind in sight_

_And I want to be there_

Max had been so busy mentally following Logan that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her until a hand touched her shoulder lightly. She jumped, and then spun to face her attacker who happened to be Alec.

"Alec," she breathed, lowering her hand that had been ready to punch him.

"You okay?" he asked, lowering his head a bit to get a look at her face.

She ducked away from him, and then replied, "I'm always okay."

He smiled tightly, not particularly liking her quoting him or the way she was avoiding his gaze.

"Chin up, soldier," he smirked, but immediately stopped when she shot him a look full of loathing.

Alec shuddered. It wasn't loathing for him he was seeing in her eyes- it was self loathing. Her hollow face, pulled tight by what he assumed were restless nights and black circles underneath her eyes. She looked like she'd been to hell and back. Max seemed haunted. And that worried him, the closest thing he'd ever come to seeing Max look haunted was that night after she'd sprung him from jail for the murder his twin Ben had committed. Back at the apartment that night she'd cried and he'd had to stand there and watch his girl fall to pieces. It was one of the worst things he'd ever seen, and all he'd wanted to do was make the pain go away, so he'd held her until she'd momentarily forgotten what had set her off in the first place, and they both pushed it from their minds.

_Some things just never change, sitting at home still feeling the same_

_Somehow she don't know there's so much more_

_Try to understand, share that tear and holding her hand_

_"Do you want to be here?"_

All Alec wanted was for Max to succeed- to get everything she'd ever wanted; and now she was at a dead end, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out how to bring her back.

_Well, you're all I ever dreamed of_

_You're stars align in threesomes, oh that's right_

_With the morning light, got your mind in sight_

_And I want to be there all my life_

Max was getting uncomfortable under his stare and his warm hand at her shoulder was something she really didn't want at the moment. She didn't deserve him at all. Upset with herself for being distracted when she had to be focusing on other things, like how to keep everyone who'd placed their trust in her alive, she shoved his hand away and tried to turn and run.

She'd made it a foot maybe when Alec's hand trying to restrain her and a piece of wood on the ground caused her to fall face down on the ground, loitered with glass.

_With the morning light, got your mind in sight_

_And I want to be there_

_Well you're all I ever dreamed of_

_Your stars align in threesomes, oh that's -_

She glanced down at her hands, which were now ripped and bleeding, and then looked at her knees, which if possible were even more shredded than her palms. Alec sucked in a breath and then let it out slowly as he crouched down beside her.

"Max…" he trailed off not sure how to approach her. Her face had twisted with something he'd rather not identify and her eyes began to fill with hot, frustrated tears.

"C'mon Max," he said sighing softly and reaching out for the girl.

"Alec, just leave me alone, okay?" she snapped as she pushed herself up off the ground and took off at a run.

_Right on time with the bomb that I hid –_

_to get that girl to admit she hit a new all time low –_

_and lower as the earth would permit_

Alec watched her disappear out of sight and he ran his hands through his hair, upset with himself for not handling that better.

He felt a couple of drops of rain hit the back of his neck where he figured his barcode was probably exposed, yet he still couldn't leave her alone outside. Alec pulled his black sweatshirts' hood up and then took off at a slow, contemplative walk down the alley he'd seen Max go. He knew she'd want time to herself to collect her thoughts, she always wanted to look like she was in control even if she wasn't.

He had been privy to something so trusting and private that it always blew his mind away when he thought about the couple of times she'd cried in front of him. It shattered his cool when he would think about how much that meant she knew she could depend on him- no one had ever needed him that much. And Alec was beginning to realize that he cherished that feeling and knowledge.

_We thought the ground would break her fall._

_But now, she's rising above us all –_

_yeah now she's rising above us all._

Alec heard a sound down the alley a bit and looked around, instantly on guard. It had sounded like footsteps on metal roofing, or tin. He listened intently and then heard a large crash, glancing up on the roofs farther down the way just in time to see Max running on the tops of the buildings, kicking pieces of aluminum roofing and shingles off whenever she had to release some of her anger.

She wasn't that high up, in fact she had now landed on a rather small building- more like a shed, maybe 10 ft high. She stood at its highest peak and looked out across Terminal City .

"See anything good?" Alec asked, voice catching in his throat, as he studied her.

She really was a mess, hair that usually was straight and in place was beginning to frizz with the rain as it began to fall in sheets, mascara ran down her cheeks and highlighted the bags under her eyes, and her shoulders- usually squared with pride and leadership, now slumped.

"…" Max didn't answer him for a moment, her mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but she didn't actually speak.

He cocked his head and took a step closer to the shed like structure.

"…Not yet," she finally replied, albeit a little thickly.

_Well, you're all I ever dreamed of._

_You're stars align in threesomes, oh that's right _

_And with the morning light,_

_got your mind in sight _

_And I want to be there all my life._

Alec nodded understandingly and then called up to her, "why don't you come down?"

Max gave no sign she'd heard him until she took a few slow and cautious steps towards the edge of the roof and peered down at him.

"C'mon Max, let's go home" he said.

She gave him a small smile, "We are home."

_With the morning light, got your mind in sight_

_and I want to be there…_

Alec smiled wide at this and told her, "jump down, I promise I'll catch you."

Max did so without a second thought and his heart soared when she fell neatly into his outstretched arms.

_Well, you're all I ever dreamed of._

_You're stars align in threesomes._

He set her down on her feet and began to walk off, figuring she'd trail along. He didn't want to pressure her to talk or anything.

_You're all I ever dreamed of_

"Alec, hey- wait up."

Max grabbed the fabric around his wrist and pulled him back towards her. She leaned into him and he put his forehead against hers. They stayed like that a moment, the rain coming down so hard that it was impossible to see a foot in front of oneself, breath intermingling.

And Max smiled, because despite everything that was wrong in her life, Alec was the one who cared the way she needed someone too. And she couldn't go on with what they were trying to accomplish without him by her side, supporting her and taking control when she ran out of heart. Alec had to know.

She opened her mouth and almost squeaked, heart racing whispered "You're it Alec, you're so it."

_Oh, that's right._

And then she kissed him.

**T h e E n d **

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**a/n- hey guys! i know i've been mia for a while now but this is hopefully gonna bring me back. i hope to update WDTC soon, and get a new fic up either on criminal minds, DA, or Instant star.**

**til then,**

**love sucks.**

**BB**


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